Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell is considering prohibiting the translation of his popular books into Hebrew after the Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

"I am a best-selling author in Israel and I must consider seriously whether I should block my books from being translated to Hebrew," the author of the popular Wallander series of detective novels told daily Dagens Nyheter.

"At the same time, I don't want this to hurt the wrong people. I have to think this through," he added.

Mankell was one of 11 Swedes who participated in the aid flotilla -- consisting of six ships carrying 682 people from 42 countries -- which was attacked by Israeli commando soldiers early Monday leaving at least nine people dead.

The 62-year-old author, whose books about world-weary detective Kurt Wallander have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and have been adapted to film and television, said he was struggling to understand "the stupidity" of the Israeli attack.

"If they had wanted to stop us without losing face, they could have broken the propellers or the rudder and towed away the ships. But to consciously go into a violent confrontation and kill people, I just don't understand it," Mankell said.

"Israel has never before been so condemned. Israel has painted itself into a corner. The world does not look the same as it did a week ago," added the author.

Upon his return to Sweden late Tuesday, Mankell charged that "all the ships (in the flotilla) were hijacked, and this was really piracy."

"What will happen next year when we come back with hundreds of boats? Will (Israel) fire a nuclear bomb?" he asked.